www.CRUISESHIPODYSSEY.com

Home page

All text and photographs (unless stated otherwise) ©  Paul Timmerman

When commissioned in 1951, Independence and Constitution were regarded as “top of the bill”. They had graceful classic counter sterns, very large sun decks and could make 23 knots at top speed. They were also innovative: full airconditioning, smokestacks designed to ensure that smoke emission would not reach the decks etc.

These ships were in fact the first important liners built for the New York - Mediterranean service since the 1930s.

Although there was talk of building a third ship, this never came to fruition. Instead, the smaller and second-hand Atlantic was bought in 1960.

The sisters were 683 ft. in length, and could accommodate ca. 1000 passengers. They could easily be changed into troopers, carrying several times their commercial load.

                                                       Artists impression of Independence in her early days

In the 1950s, their top-years, both ships were sailing on three-week roundtrips: from New York to Algeciras, Naples, Genoa, Cannes and then back to Spain and New York. 

Later, they also went cruising in the off-season, winter period. Destinations were as diverse as the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and even the Black Sea.

                                                                        Arriving at her New York berth

But as with all liners during the second half of the ‘60s, they were overtaken by the aircraft. Rising costs of running American passenger ships did the rest.  

In a last effort to keep her profitable, Independence was chartered to Fugazi Cruises. She was repainted “as a sunny ship” with a pop-art design on her hull and superstructure.

                                                Independence under charter to Fugazi Cruises with a ' sunny'  hull....

But in spite of this, she couldn’t keep up with her newer, more modern  competitors in the trade. So American Export took both ships out of service and they were laid-up in 1969.

It took until 1974 until a buyer was found: the famous Taiwanese shipping tycoon Mr. C.Y. Tung. Mr. Tung was acquiring a fleet of passenger-vessels at the time, amidst them the famous ex-Cunarder Queen Elizabeth. Because of high fuel prices, they mostly remained in lay-up in Hong Kong, making only a handful of cruises. Their names were changed in Oceanic Independence and Oceanic Constitution.

 In 1976, there was talk of a sale of the Oceanic Independence to a firm called Shannon SA. She was to be renamed Sea Luck 1. This never materialized.  

Four years later, the Oceanic Independence was put back into regular service, sailing for Mr. Tungs newly formed American Hawaii Cruises. The Constitution followed two years later. They proved very popular, sailing out of Honolulu.

In 1982 her name was shortened to Independence. 

In 1994, the Independence was refitted at the Newport News shipyard in Virginia. Constitution was to follow in 1996, but it became clear that she needed much more work than her sister. She sat for some time at a Portland, Oregon shipyard. When, in 1997 the Independence came in for repairs at the same yard, both ships were together for the last time……. Next, Constitution was stripped of all parts that could be used to keep her sister going for some years to come. Subsequently, she was sold to Far Eastern scrappers. She never reached her final destination however. She sank on November 1997 while under tow, northeast of Hawaii. Constitution was gone now, but will always remembered for all those celebrities she “ferried across”, the most famous being Grace Kelly sailing to Monaco for her wedding with Prince Rainier in 1956.

                                                            At sea, American Hawaii logo on funnels

Independence would keep on sailing for American Hawaii Cruises until 2002, when parent company American Classic Voyages declared bankruptcy. She was instantly laid up.

It seemed obvious that she would never see active service again.......

However in a surprise move, she was acquired by NCL for her brand NCL America in 2003, together with the over 30 (!) years inactive United States. NCL stated that after a minor refit she would start sailing in US waters again. But nothing happened. They renamed her Oceanic in 2006 and a year later, NCL reported the Oceanic had been sold to an American company. Rumour had it she would be scrapped shortly afterwards. But she remained in lay up, slowly deteriorating, until February 8 2008 when she suddenly left San Francisco under tow. Her destination was thought to be the scrapyard in India or Bangladesh, but it was declared to be Singapore.

She didn't make it there however and is now in lay up in Dubai.

End